Increasing rate of youth unemployment alarming – Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama says the growing numbers of unemployed graduates in the country poses a threat to society.

He expressed this concern when he addressed Muslim and Zongo chiefs led by the Chief Imam Sheikh Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu at the Flagstaff House.

The president acknowledged that the country’s economy is not “growing fast enough” to guarantee jobs for the youth.

This, he said, can be a primary factor “for social tension” explaining that “if you have a lot of young people sitting around with no work to do, it is said that the devil finds work for the idle hands.”

In May this year, the president called for greater collaboration between industry and academia to enable graduates fit into the job market.

Addressing the Muslim and Zongo leaders, President Mahama admonished Ghanaians “to sit together and see how we can overcome the problem of youth unemployment.”

According to him, Allah has spared Ghana violence emanating from the youth due to economic hardship as it is being experienced in other African countries.

He quickly added that despite the peace being enjoyed in Ghana, the situation must not be taken for granted “but we must also work to ensure that we continue to work to build the bonds of friendship amongst ourselves and people of other religions.”

The president also announced government plans to give Zongo communities in the country a massive facelift with a loan facility from the Brazilian government.

The project is being done in collaboration with the Brazilian government and the Council of Muslim and Zongo Chiefs will be briefed on the details of the project.

President Mahama stated that the briefing is necessary because the project will “involve moving people for a little while.”

Temporary accommodation will be provided for affected persons while the houses in the Zongo communities will be realigned while roads and allay ways within the houses will also be constructed.

Open spaces for playgrounds will also be built and other social amenities will be provided.